LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Harry George Mason ROBINSON DFC
Service No: 412304
Born: Parramatta NSW, 22 September 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 June 1941
Unit: No. 156 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Upwood
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 15 October 1943
Died: Air Operations: (No. 156 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PA984), France, 15 July 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Ancerville Communal Cemetery, Meuse, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Henry and Kathleen Robinson; husband of Dorothy Robinson, of Busselton, Western Australia
Roll of Honour: Ryde NSW
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation (service with No. 76 Squadron (RAF)): During his tour of operations, Flight Lieutenant Robinson has been detailed to attack some of the heaviest defended targets in enemy territory. This officer has always shown a high degree of courage and skill and initiative and a fine fighting spirit. He possesses outstanding ability as a wireless operator and a strong sense of duty both in the air and on the ground. (London Gazette 15 October 1943, page 4561)”
At 2201 hours on the night of 14 July 1944 Lancaster PA984 took off from Upwood detailed to attack rail facilities at Revigny, France, as Deputy Master Bomber. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. When in the vicinity of the target, the aircraft was hit by cannon fire from a night fighter, and it broke into two sections before crashing at 0157 hours near Ancerville (Meuse), 20kms south west of Bar-le-Duc. Six of the crew members were killed and two were taken prisoner.
The crew members of PA984 were:
Flying Officer Hugh Coker (149304) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Squadron Leader G G Davies DSO (87415) (RAFVR) (Pilot) POW
Flying Officer F C G Debrock DFC (168843) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Frederick Holbrook DFC (158423) (RAFVR) (Second Navigator)
Flying Officer Frederick James Lockwood DFC (131879) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Daniel Dominique Platana DFC (J/18616) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Harry George Mason Robinson DFC (412304) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Lieutenant K Stevens (52120) (RAFVR) (Visual Marker) PoW
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/36/311